Indonesia Commemorates "World Ocean Day"

Antara News, Thu, June 16 2011

Jakarta, June 16, 2011 (ANTARA) - In commemorating the "World Ocean Day" (WOD) or World Marine Day, today (15/6) Indonesia commemorates for the first time "World Ocean Day", which was set up by the United Nation in 2009. In his speech, Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister, Fadel Muhammad, said this commemoration will be a momentum for people to contemplate, initiate, and take steps to deal with challenges in global community related to the ocean. "Local government must be aware with the importance to build the ocean as the nation's future," said Fadel.

According to Fadel, ocean has important function with food security, nutrition security, health and the existence of all aspects in life. Ocean has power to affect directly or indirectly the climate and earth which we all live. In everyday life, we receive marine service from the transportation, consumption, and recreation.

Meanwhile, the Defence and Security Minister, Poernomo Yusgiantoro, whose participate in commemoration of WOD said the archipelago security can be synergized with the use of small islands to save the ocean. Small islands in border region have double functions, such as ocean security and developing economic potential in this region. Poernomo said as many as 12 islands in this border region become a priority to implement those double roles such as Nipah Island, Miangas Island, and Berahla Island. Nowadays, people around the world deal with the piracy and armed robbery ship issues, which was happened in the last couple of years in Somalia Waters. The role of ocean as trading route is very important because 90% transportation of goods in the world is through the ocean. "Because of that, the ocean security is important to support economic activities in this region," he said.

Indonesia is the biggest archipelagic country in the world with 70% its territory is ocean and has 17,480 small islands.According to this geographic fact, Indonesia has done two strategic things such as; first, Juanda Declaration on December 13, 1957, which stated that the inland ocean is a jurisdiction area of the Republic of Indonesia. Second, the implementation of amandement to the Constitution of 1945 in 2000 so that the article of 25A stated that "The Republic of Indonesia is an archipelagic country". For this statement, the national development budgetting system should be based on the concept "Archipelagic State", rather than today's system," said Rompas Max Rompas, Secretary of National Marine Board (Dekin).

The Ocean Day is commemorated on June 8, 2011 since the United Nation set the date on its General Assembly in 2009. This idea has been proposed by Canada on June 8, 1992 in Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Since that day, all countries commemorate World Ocean Day because ocean is an important life's chain. The commemoration of WOD this year has theme "Our Oceans" : Greening Our Future", which means "Our Ocean, Preserving Our Future."

On this occasion, the Archipelago Day 2011 will be inaugurated in Dumai, Province of Riau and the Ministry of Defence and Security is the chair to host this event. The discussion panel which brings the topic of discuss, initiate, 'sue' the implementation of the Constitution of 1945 amandement, article 25A which was set by the People's Consultative Assembly in 2000. This discussion panel was attend by Anna Mu'awanah (Vice Chairman of Commision IV DPR-RI) and Professor Jimly Asshidiqie (Legal Expert of State Administration), moderated by Mukhlis Yusuf, Managing Director of Antara News Agency.

For further information, please contact Dr.Yulistyo Mudho, M.Sc, Head of Data, Statistics and Information Center, The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (Mobile 0811836967)